Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
broidered goods. The upper village, however, beneath rugged crags, is redolent with ro-
mantic decay and the ghosts of the past. Note that tour coaches pile into Kritsa from late
morning until late afternoon.
About 1km before Kritsa is the turnoff to the photogenic 13th-century
Church of
Panagia Kera
(
8.30am-3pm Tue-Sun)
, which contains
28410 51806; admission €3;
some of the finest Byzantine frescoes in Crete.
There are hourly buses here from Agios Nikolaos (€1.60, 15 minutes). A taxi costs
about €13.
Lato Λατώ
About 4km north of Kritsa, the 7th-century-BC Dorian city of
Ancient Lato
(admission
€2; 8.30am-3pm Tue-Sun)
is one of Crete's few non-Minoan ancient sites. Lato (lah-to),
once a powerful city state, sprawls over two acropolises in a lonely mountain setting
overlooking the Gulf of Mirabello. It was named after Leto, the mother of Artemis and
Apollo.
There are no buses to Lato. If you're driving, look for the signposted turnoff as you
approach to Kritsa. A taxi from Agios Nikolaos costs about €16.
Gournia Γουρνιά
The Minoan settlement of
Gournia
(admission €3; 8.30am-3pm Tue-Sun)
(goor-nyah)
lies 19km southeast of Agios Nikolaos. Made up of a small palace and residential areas,
it was built between 1600 and 1500 BC, destroyed in 1450 BC and reoccupied from 1375
to 1200 BC. There are streets, stairways and houses with walls up to 2m high. Domestic,
trade and agricultural implements discovered here indicate that Gournia was fairly pros-
perous.
When exploring the site, study the overview map just past the entrance, then follow a
narrow ancient road as it curves uphill to the palace ruins, skirting
workshops
and
stor-
age rooms
, including one where a clay wine press was found. The trail ends at the
palace's central courtyard with steps on your right indicating the main entrance. On the
opposite (west) side of the courtyard, smaller stairs lead down to an upright slab con-
sidered a '
sacred stone
'. There are 10 explanatory panels scattered around the site as
well as a booklet for sale at the ticket kiosk (€5).
Sitia and Ierapetra buses from Agios Nikolaos can drop you at the site.
